Disaster
by Padfoot's Pawprint
Summary: There's a meister's convention at the Death City Dome when a giant bomb hits it! How in the world did it happen? Who survived? SoMa
1. Chapter 1

**hey! it's paddy, back again with a Soul Eater fanfic, lately i've been obsessed with these guys so i guess it's only logical that i write about it, right? anywho, this is another 2 chapter story. Cuz i don't really want you guys to, you know, have 6000 some words in one chapter. It should at least be spread out, yeh? anywho, please enjoy the story [:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

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><p>The streets we're soaked with people. It was an odd expression, he knew, but it was accurate. There was screaming, the high pitched symbol of fear. Soul wove through the streets, avoiding the onslaught of people going in the opposite direction.<p>

"Damn it, move," he screamed, shoving his way through the crowd. He didn't have the time to work his way through the streets. He needed to get to the dome. Now. He was pushed and kicked but Soul pressed through, fighting. He refused to turn back. He couldn't. She couldn't...

He felt a burning sensation in his eyes but he ignored it. He couldn't afford tears. The crowds suddenly begun to thin and he felt a glimmer of hope. He pulled out his phone and dialled again. He hoped she would pick up.

She didn't.

He swore colourfully before running faster than before, forcing himself through the people.

But he knew. He _knew_ that he shouldn't ever let her out of his sight. It should never had happened. It wasn't worth this. It would _never_ be worth this.

There had been a convention for all meisters in the Nevada region. Hell, it was basically for anyone that could make it. All the great meisters, worldwide, had been invited. They'd never expected...

As Soul rounded the corner, he was assaulted with a wave of ash. He covered his eyes, holding in his breath, desperate for cover. He crouched, throwing himself to the ground and shielding his face. The ash slapped him, burning the visible skin. This continued for a while and Soul was beginning to struggle. He had kept his head down and had been holding his breath but it couldn't last forever. Soul took a breath into his sleeve, half breath, half ash. This continued for a while before Soul risked a glance up. He didn't feel the pain of the windy ash and he knew that he needed to get moving again.

When Soul looked properly, the streets were covered in ash; debris littered the empty roads. He noticed a couple of people getting up as well. Two humans. Normal people. Yet, the couple and Soul shared the same eyes. Eyes of fear.

Soul remembered his reason for being there. Maka. She was at the convention. She was there when the...

When the bomb hit.

The scene on the television was burned into his mind. A woman, standing outside the dome, discussing the convention, and then the giant bomb that flew into the huge dome, plunging right through the structure. Soul had been both devastated and disgusted. And it had taken him 2 seconds, not even, to run out of his apartment and race towards the dome.

Soul ran towards the dome now, crimson eyes wide at the site. It was on fire. It was bright and flaming, unyielding and uncaring towards the people inside. It had gotten as bad as catching the building nearby on fire. The buildings beside it were being put out by firefighters and that was working for those buildings. The dome, however, stood, still burning, seemingly unaffected by the water.

He ran towards the dome and noticed some people standing there as well. Tsubaki stood, face streaked with tears, her hands clenched in desperation. Soul moved towards her and put a hand on her shoulder as a way to comfort her. She looked down at him and gave a small smile before sobbing outright and grabbing on to him. He patted her back awkwardly, knowing that he would cry if he could.

It was a tempting notion; letting out all his emotions in an effort of grievance, but he hadn't given up. Not yet.

Tsubaki pulled away after a while, dark eyes red from crying. "I'm sorry, Soul."

"Don't be," he said roughly, rubbing her back, "We have a right to be worried. Black*Star...he's going to become a God, remember? He can't-can't _not_ become that. It'll happen."

Tsubaki nodded and gave Soul a quick hug again. "Maka will be okay, Soul, she'll make it. She's practically indestructible."

Soul said nothing, not trusting his voice. Tsubaki's sentiments were nice, but they weren't altogether true. Maka wasn't indestructible. She was fragile, even though she'd Maka-chop him if he said it aloud.

"Soul! Tsubaki!" the two of them glanced over and saw Liz and Patti running towards them. The sisters gave Tsubaki and Soul huge hugs, their eyes also watery. "Thank Shinigami-sama that you're both alive."

"Is there any news? Survivors?"

"So far, they've found 10 meisters. None of them were Maka or Black*Star," they added, causing Soul's and Tsubaki's faces to fall. "Apparently, they were able to get Ox and Kim out. Kim had a few burns but Ox got it really bad. It was because he used his body to protect her from burning debris, or so the rumour goes."

"That sounds like Ox," said Soul knowingly, "He protected Kim with his life. It's the cool thing to do."

The three girls nodded and turned to face the burning dome. "I want to be in their so badly," whispered Liz, hands intertwined with her sister's, "Kid's in there right now. It's not fair."

"Kid is a Death God, Liz, he'll be fine."

"I hope so, Soul, because I don't know what I'd do without him here."

Soul gave the Thompson sisters another hug before staring at the blaze. It was hard to sit there and know that there was a possibility Maka was in deep trouble. He wanted her with him, safe and sound and warm and absolutely alive. And he wanted... he wanted to...

There was suddenly a shouting that could be heard. "GET BACK! GET AWAY! IT'S GONNA FALL! RUN!"

The four weapons, without a second to spare, began running in the opposite direction, legs rushing them forward. Soul spared one glance behind him and saw a disaster. The dome, the huge Death City Dome, was crumbling. It just began to collapse in on itself, destroying the strong structure that used to stand. Huge ash clouds billowed from the dome, encasing the entire building and beginning to fill the streets.

"Move to the car," cried Soul, the group rushing towards the nearest vehicle. The moment they reached the metal automobile, the ash cloud engulfed them, swallowing the 4 of them as it had Soul just minutes before.

Minute after minute passed by and the small group wondered if they were going to live. Soul vowed to himself that he'd survive. He had to make sure Maka was alive. He had to...

The world went from brown to gray to black.

His last thought was of his partner's smile.

**:**SOUL**:**EATER**:**

"Hey, kid, kid wake up." Soul felt someone shaking him and groaned, as the movements hurt him. He tried to sit up and breathe but he coughed out ashy dust, him mouth deathly dry. "Have some water, kid, you'll need it," said a man that Soul suspected was a fire fighter. Soul felt a water bottle being put into his hand and he took a drink from it. He then used it to wash out his mouth, spitting the residue on the ground.

Looking around now, the street was almost unrecognizable. The ash cloud had been able to coat almost everything in sight. What was more unbelievable was that the windows of local shops had all been broken into pieces; cars had been seemingly crushed and flipped over. It was insanity.

Soul noticed his three friends all unconscious as well, but they were slowly coming to. The young weapon sighed with relief but then that relief was shattered by a scream.

"NO!"

Soul swivelled and got to his feet to see a girl sobbing over the body of a young man. She was a weapon, that much was clear, but the body... It was her meister's, Soul realized numbly, this girl's meister was dead.

The thought was like a slap in the face and, all at once, Soul was running towards the remains of the dome. There were fire fighters starting to reline it and, once Soul got too close, they held him back. "Kid, this is a dangerous place. Get out of here."

"My meister's in there," he shouted, struggling against the arms that kept him away.

"No can do, kid. This is dangerous."

"I fight monsters on a daily basis. This is nothing. Now let me through."

"We can't do that."

"You _have_ to let me through! My meister-"

"Let _us_ look for survivors. That's what we're here for."

"But-"

"Soul!" Soul snapped back and stared at the speaker. Tsubaki. "They're right. We can't go crazy right now."

"But-"

"I said no, Soul. They'll handle it. They'll get her out."

"And what if they don't, Tsubaki? What if she's dead already? Or worse, what if she's sitting there, injured, under piles of rubble, and I can't get her out? What if-"

"SOUL! Leave it alone!" Tsubaki grabbed him by his shoulders, shaking the boy, "Don't give up like that. You can't. If you do then...then Black*Star..." her eyes shone as tears filled them up again, "You're the only guy here. Aren't you supposed to be the cool one?" Soul's eyes widened and he just nodded. "You can't just do this to us. To Maka."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I was being uncool."

"Yes, you were."

"So how are we supposed to get to them? The dome is huge. And all the meisters…" The area around the crumbled dome was littered with weapons whose meisters had attended the convention. Many of them were crying. Others were fighting with the firefighters, trying to get into what was left of the DCD. Others still sat on the ground, eyes unseeing the disaster before them. "There has to be some way to get to them."

"There isn't," said Liz, standing up from the ground. Soul took her hand to help her and she muttered a 'thank you', "What's worse, Shinigami-sama wasn't attending. He was welcoming a legendary meister from France and was meeting her at the airport. He could have potentially protected them and now…"

"Liz, those 'what ifs' aren't going to help us. Tsubaki's right, we need to wait and let the firefighters handle it. What ifs mean that we've already given up and, between you and me, I'm not ready to believe that my meister didn't make it, are you?"

Liz shook her head and tried a smile, "It's so awful," she said after a moment, "Who would do this?"

"The witches? It wouldn't be the first time." Soul face darkened considerably and the air was filled with tension. It was cut soon after as the cry of the firefighters were heard and many of them rush to one side of the broken building. Soul recognized someone appear from the huge mix of metal and cement as Kilik Rung. Thunder and Fire could be seen running up to their meister, tears in their eyes. It was a touching sight. Kilik was badly injured. He had an obvious concussion and a gash across his leg that made it hard to walk. Still, he crouched and hugged his weapons close to him, reassuring them of his presence.

The meister that came out next was not in such good shape. In fact, the nameless girl was being carried out by a firefighter who was shaking his head sadly. Another girl, presumably the first one's weapon, pushed her way to her meister, crying loudly. Soul's hope plummeted. Sure, Kilik made it out. But that didn't mean Maka would.

There was a period where the firefighters were only bringing out dead meisters. It was within that period where there were probably the most torn sounds; the sounds of agony and loss echoing in the streets of Death City. It almost hurt Soul to see these weapons. They were alone again, without their partner. He couldn't begin to imagine…

"KID!" Soul's eyes widened as the young Shinigami stumbled out of the wreckage, his clothes torn and bloody. His head was speckled red and he had cuts from head to toe. When he saw Liz and Patti he smiled. It was weak, but enough to give them comfort. The Thompson sisters ran to their meister, embracing him in their hugs. Soul and Tsubaki joined the trio where hugs and reassurances were exchanged.

"We're so glad you're okay, Kid," said Patti, wiping away tears and clinging to his arm, "Big Sis was ready to go beat up the firefighters to look for you."

Kid looked at Liz oddly who just waved her hands back and forth in an attempt to convey that Patti's recollection of the events were incorrect, "We were worried about you," she smiled a soft smile, "We're so happy you're safe."

"So am I, Liz," he said, pulling her in for another hug.

"Um, Kid?" Soul decided that he had to have his fears assuaged now. "I know that we're happy that you survived, but what exactly happened? I know there was a bomb, but how did a group full of meisters not have any protection?"

"You've got a good point but it's somewhat hard to explain. We weren't expecting the bomb at all. In fact, the convention was strictly invitation only and, since all the meisters in the region are registered and tracked, we knew who they were. It was a mistake on our part for planning. Father was the main support system. When he went to the airport to pick up a foreign meister, he left the convention for exactly an hour. The bombers knew this and took the opportunity to attack us, wounding and killing able bodied meisters. I can only suspect that the witches aim was to kill enough of us to leave the human souls vulnerable and so on." Kid took a deep breath and stared at the bodies that lay around the dome. Some alive, but most were dead.

"What about Maka! And Black*Star?"

Kid gave a short sad laugh, "The moment the bomb hit, they jumped into action. They were leading people to exits, guiding foreign meisters to the doors and so on. I tried to help them but Maka insisted I get the other meisters out first; the younger ones. That's when the first level collapsed," he took a breath before continuing, "At some point, the beams that supported the DCD weakened and fell over the remainder of the people. The people near the exits were crushed and burned within seconds. The others are under huge beams, half dead. There was nothing I could do. I remember Black*Star rushing me forward and insisting that I 'get going' and such but I refused to leave. He knocked me out and probably threw me into the small air pocket in the dome. Everything else crumbled around us and I was unconscious until a meister, probably a 14 year old, fairly new, woke me up. He was young and I think he got out."

"So you don't know what happened…?"

"No, I'm so sorry. Everything was buried. I don't even t- I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Kid, don't be sorry," said Tsubaki miserable, sinking to the ground. "It wasn't..."

Soul crouched and rubbed Tsubaki's back in an effort to calm her down. "You said it yourself, Tsubaki. We can't afford to give up. Not yet."

"We found another one!" cried one of the firemen but the voice heard next shocked the small group, catching their attention.

"What do you mean another _one_? You can't possibly have forgotten about me, could you?"

"Wait a- I know that voice!" Tsubaki swivelled to face the broken structure where a young boy stood. He was standing very proudly on top of the broken pieces with, what looked like, a very lumpy back pack.

"I mean, come on! I'm not just any old person. I'm BLACK*STAR, the biggest star that's ever been born. One of these days I'm going to be such a huge star that you won't dare forget my name."

"Black*Star!" cried Tsubaki, running towards the wreckage, "Black*Star!"

"Oh, hey, Tsubaki," his voice was calm and nonchalant as he jumped off the scrap metal and landed on the concrete with a light tap, "Miss me already? I was only gone for a couple of hours."

"You idiot!" she cried, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. He just patted her back as a way of comforting her. His other hand was being used to support the backpack looking item behind him. As the small group came closer, however, they noticed that the backpack was not a backpack at all. In fact, it was Maka, bloodied and bruised.

"Maka!" Black*Star eased Maka to the floor, gently, delicately, and Soul took her into his arms. "Maka, you in there?"

She gave no response of having heard him.

"Maka, listen to me, we've got to get Doctor Stein to fix you up but until then, you're gonna have to stay awake, alright?"

"She was awake when I found her," said Black*Star looking down at his friend, "I tried to keep her talking to me but then I think some spare rubble must have hit her head. I had to pick her up at that point and I used my Soul Wavelength to get out of the DCD. It sure is trashed bad…"

Soul stared at her nervously, watching her chest rise and fall as a slow but sure sign of life. It was almost unrecognizable in comparison to everything else around him and Soul felt his senses heighten for her. "Maybe if I just…" Soul closed his eyes and leaned over her, in an attempt to keep her close to him. It wasn't totally physical either. His goal was to press their souls together. With any luck, Soul hoped he'd be able to resonate with her and drag her out of the pain that threatened to consume her.

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><p><strong>well, i'm done this chapter <strong>

**feel free to tell me what you think. it really helps clear your mind and up my self-esteem**

**thanks and may the wizard gods be with you**

**(ps, didja here about Starkid? they're coming to the T.O. So excited )**

**Please R&R**


	2. Chapter 2

**let's get this show on the road, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. Not even a fraction of it.**

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><p>The darkness was familiar, he knew, and suddenly he was in a room. It was very much like the black room only instead of black and red, it was white and blue. It was almost like he'd been thrown up into the sky. He looked around and noticed huge book shelves, which, in a way, he anticipated. Maka would always be a book worm at heart. Something he didn't expect, however, was the pictures.<p>

There were photographs that lined every inch of visible wall. Most were of her friends and close family, but Soul noticed an entire wall dedicated to them. The pictures on this wall were mostly with them in the most mundane settings; Soul sleeping on the couch, Maka cooking dinner, watching TV together, reading/sleeping under the shade of a tree. What piqued Soul's interest was the fact that the pictures were often taken by her. They were usually a combination of the two and then, of course, there were just pictures of Soul. These were the pictures that Soul found the most intriguing because of their accuracy. The photographer had managed to get Soul when he was smiling, sleeping, playing his guitar, and worse, playing the piano.

That picture was the oddest one by far. He'd never played piano in front of her if he could avoid it. It made him feel embarrassed and raw.

A sudden noise forced Soul out of his reverie. His head jerked towards the sound and he noticed that there was a piano in the corner of the room. It wasn't big. In fact, it was rather small; beside it sat a long blue couch. It looked a lot like the one that sat in their living room at that very minute. His hands caressed the piano keys, mind spinning. Why would a piano be in her soul? She was never adept to music. She hadn't taken a real interest into in it even though Soul had talked about it a lot.

Another noise commanded his attention and he swivelled to face it. The sound had been a crash, the sound of breaking glass. Looking at the vast room now, Soul spotted the source of the noise. It was a picture frame that had fallen down and the glass was cracked. Standing near the frame was a little girl about five or six years of age. She was wearing a white dress with little pockets on the sides. She had a small cut on her finger and was fighting tears as well as staring at Soul. Soul could tell there was fear in her eyes and he began to move towards her slowly.

"Shh, it's okay, kid, don't be scared." The little girl flinched at the sound of his voice but he continued forward, "I won't hurt you, I promise." The little girl frowned, eyes narrowed before sprinting towards him, only to head straight to the couch. Soul watched, amused, as she tried to hide there, just barely fitting behind the couch. He walked over to the blue piece of furniture and climbed onto it so he could peek his head over the top. He smiled at the little girl who gave a squeak when she saw him.

"What do you want from me?" she said, voice soft and scared.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, noting the way her hair was tied. Pigtails. Just like Maka.

"Okay? How come?" she tilted her head to the side, obviously confused with Soul's words.

"Because I'm worried about you and you've got a cut on your finger. It hurts right?" she nodded, "I thought so. I can try and find a band-aid for you. Is that alright with you?"

"I have a band-aid," she said softly, sticking her hand into her pocket and reproducing a small band-aid.

"That'll do. I can put it on for you, if you like. But I'll need you to come out from behind the couch," he gave a small smile, "Please?"

The little girl pursed her lips as if she was thinking very deeply on the prospect of coming out before deciding to agree with him. She crawled out from behind the sofa and slowly came around to Soul's side. She watched him warily while he patted the sofa, imploring her to take a seat. She complied and handing him the band-aid wordlessly.

Soul took it with a small word of thanks before beginning small talk, "Don't worry about me, okay. You can trust me."

"Mommy says not to talk to strangers," she said, her voice like little bells, "Daddy says so too but he always talks to strangers." She gave Soul a curious look, "Why is that?"

"I don't know, kid, but I'm sure they're not all strangers."

"You're right. They aren't all strangers. He talks to Sara's mom a lot. And Denise's and Sakura's." Soul felt a chilly feeling settle within him. He had a feeling he knew who and what this little girl was talking about. "And my name's not kid. It's Maka. Maka Albarn." Soul felt frozen. It was Maka. Albeit, a small one, but Maka all the same. Why was she like this in her soul? "What's your name?"

"My name is Soul."

"Soul? That's a nice name," she said smiling, "What's your last name? I bet it's cool."

Soul laughed a little bit, careful not to show his teeth, before responding, "My full name is Soul Eater Evans. But I prefer Soul Eater."

"Me too," little Maka smiled widely, "It's really cool! It suits you too," she said after a moment, "Soul Eater," she tested the word out on her tongue before laughing, "It sounds so cool." Soul smiled back at her, his mind going back to when he had first told Maka his name. She'd said his name suited him, too.

"So, Maka," the little girl looked at him expectantly, her hand still stuck out for him to put the bandage on. He complied before continuing, "how old are you?"

"I'm 6," she held up her hands, fingers spread out to symbolize the number, "How old are you?"

"I'm 17."

"17!" she gaped, "Soul Eater, you're so old!"

"I'm so old?" he laughed, "How old are your parents?"

"Well, Mommy is 24 and so is Daddy. Mommy is more grown up though," she said frowning, "Daddy doesn't like being called childish but he always laughs anyway." Maka was beaming as she talked about her parents and Soul almost couldn't believe that this family had been broken by Spirit's flirtatious nature. However, having personally met Spirit Albarn, he could say that he could very well believe it.

"It's nice that you have such a loving family."

"Thank you, Soul," said Maka. The way she was smiling made Soul long for _his_ Maka; the girl that never backed down from a challenge; the girl that never hesitated to use her most famous 'Maka-chop'. "Soul?"

Soul looked at little Maka who was now staring at him, worried, "Yeah?"

"What's wrong, Soul? Why are you sad?"

Soul hesitated. Before this little girl, he felt a nervousness. Did he honestly want to involve this innocent girl with his problems? "Well," he started carefully, "there's this girl."

"A girl!" Maka squealed in delight and pulled her legs up. She was like a teenage girl at a sleep over whose friend had just announced that she was dating someone. "Who is she? Is she pretty? And nice?"

"The girl?" Soul gave a short laugh, "well, she'd kind of violent. And she shouts a lot. And she's bossy."

Maka frowned, "She doesn't seem very nice, Soul. I would never be like that."

Soul felt the irony of the situation and laughed, "You never know."

"I do know. Daddy says he likes sweet girls that are nice and pretty; like me and mommy." She smiled proudly, "But about the girl... do you like her?"

"She's my partner."

"You're _married_?"

"No, Maka, not that kind of partner. What I mean is that we're really close friends. We work together a lot."

"Like a weapon and a meister."

Soul's brow furrowed, "You know about weapons and meisters?"

"Mommy's a meister and Daddy's a weapon. I want to be just like Mommy and create a great weapon just like her."

"Amazing..." at such a young age, Maka had been able to grasp the meister/weapon scenario, "Well, this helps things along. The girl I'm talking about is a meister."

"So when you said partners..."

"I meant she was my meister, which makes me the weapon."

"You don't look much like a weapon, Soul."

"Why do you say that?"

"You look too nice." Soul hadn't expected that out of the six year old, "You're so cute and white."

"You're not scared of me." It wasn't really a question; more of a statement.

"What do you mean? You told me not to be scared of you so I'm not."

"I didn't really expect you to believe me."

"Of course I trust you. I trust almost everybody, except mean people. They're no good to talk to. That's what Mommy says. Besides, I like you, Soul," Maka leaned in and brought her arms around Soul's neck so she was hugging him. Soul was frozen solid. She was so small and innocent...she trusted almost everything and everyone. Little Maka was so different from her future self. This Maka was so open. The Maka Soul had learned to care about was scared of letting people in. She kept her heart guarded and was passionate in everything she did. She was far from innocent, but Soul wouldn't have her any other way.

Thinking of his Maka that way, and having her little self hug him as she did, made his eyes water. He sucked in sharply and felt Maka's little arms tighten around his neck. "Don't cry, Soul," she said softly, "It's not worth crying over." Soul shook his head, tears leaking out from his eyes.

"You don't unders-"

"It's okay. Daddy says that the best way to stop being sad is to hug it out," Soul let out a light laugh, "You can hug me, Soul Eater, I'm not afraid of anything."

"That's my Maka," he whispered, bringing his arms up to hug her back. She felt so fragile in his arms but the warmth brought him back.

"So I will ask you again, Soul Eater, why are you sad?"

"I...there's a girl that I care a lot about and she's really deep in sleep. I called to her but I'm afraid she-"

"-she won't wake up." Maka pulled back and stared into his eyes, "Maybe your meister thinks it's safer not to wake up."

"But why would she-"

"Have you ever had a nightmare, Soul?"

"What do you-"

"Nightmares create some really scary things. I was always really happy when I woke up from one because 'poof', no more nightmare."

"I don't under-"

"The nightmares got so bad that I vowed I would never go to sleep again. So I stayed up for as long as I could. I almost stayed up a whole day, like 24 hours, but then Daddy made me sleep."

"How did he do that?"

"He asked me with a smile and he said please."

"And that _works_?"

"Why not? When I slept that night, I had no nightmares and then I slept normally."

"I don't know where you're going with this."

Maka stood up on the couch. She was so small that she was exactly Soul's size when she stood. She put her hands on either side of his face and spoke again, "Nightmares are scary, Soul. If she won't wake up, what do you think you should do?"

"Ask her."

"Very good. You can practice on me if you'd like."

Soul realized that Maka was giving him a chance to unlock her heart. The pain and fear that the DCD bombing had caused had forced a barrier that cut her off from reality. She was trying to wake up but the barrier was too strong to handle alone. Little Maka must have been the part of Maka's soul that wanted to be saved. The rational part; the innocent part. "Maka, could you wake up for me? Please?"

Little Maka frowned, "I don't want to."

Soul's eyes widened. He should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy. This was Maka he was talking about; the most stubborn girl he'd ever met. "Please, Maka? We need you out there. It's important."

"But I don't want to." He had to be more serious about it. He could see it in Maka's green eyes; if he didn't work fast then he would surely lose her to the barrier.

"Please, Maka."

"No."

"Maka," his voice cracked, growing more desperate, "I don't want to lose my meister."

Maka leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead. Soul's body felt like it was suddenly on fire but he ignored it and closed his eyes, "Please, Maka." He said again. Soul felt the lips on his forehead disappear and when he opened his eyes there was Maka, green eyes glowing with tears.

"Hi." The sound of her voice made something inside Soul sing and he just smiled.

"Hi." Maka removed her hands, which were bigger than her smaller counterpart. She used them to wipe the tears off her face before returning her attention to Soul. She was normal sized now. No longer the six year old she had been, she was instead the sixteen year old girl that Soul was familiar with. "Welcome back."

"Thanks." they were sitting across from one another, a meister and her weapon. Maka was in a white slip like little Maka, only it was far longer and made her seem more feminine. "I suppose we've resonated or something, huh?"

"I suppose we have," Soul grinned, "I'm glad you're okay."

"In here, I am," Maka gestured to the large room they were in.

"Yeah. Guess this would be your soul, right?"

"It is. It's an effect from the Grigori soul inside me. It's like the sky in here."

"I noticed. It's a lot different from the Black Room in a way. It's lighter and cooler."

"I guess. I liked the Black Room, though. It's not so bad."

"Not so bad?"

"We'll sure, it's dark and gloomy, but it's your soul. I couldn't hate anything that was yours." Soul felt his heart warm but then it settled after closer inspection to her choice of words.

"That was in past tense. You _couldn't_. You're still alive, y'know? It's you '_can't_'."

"Don't get technical with me, Soul. I know that I'm still alive."

"Do you? Because you sound like you've given up." Maka was quiet, "You _have_ given up," he said incredulously, "Maka, I can't believe this." Soul ran a hand through his hair, "Why? Don't you miss everyone?"

"I never said I don't miss them. I just..." she averted her eyes, "I'm sick of dealing with this, Soul. The fighting and the hurt... I'm sick of it."

"How can you say that? You're a meister, a hero to millions worldwide. You protect so many people every day."

"Those are sweet words, Soul, but they're not true. You are the hero that saves lives. I am merely the person who wields you. Many other can. It's not just me."

"Don't start with me, Maka, you know that's not true."

"Don't I? You haven't had a chance to be with any other meister. How do you know if another one would be better?"

"'Cuz I don't want any other meister." Maka's eyes returned to his, "You heard me. I don't want another meister. I want a meister that has green eyes, a pretty smile, a violent nature, a deadly attack, a short temper, a wonderful personality and a courageous spirit. I want a meister who's name is Maka Albarn. I won't settle for any other meister. They have to fit that description," he gave a devious smile, "Good luck finding me a meister with all those attributes."

Maka's lips turned up and she smiled, "Thanks."

"Anytime, Maka. Now we should be getting back to the gang, don't you think?"

"Sure." They stood up together, hands intertwined. Maka led him towards the door that was situated on the wall far from the sofa. They walked there, Soul holding her hand all the while.

"I have one question before we go in," he said, tugging her away from the door.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have a piano in here?"

"Oh, that..." Maka gave the piano a quick glance before turning back to Soul, "No reason."

"Don't lie to me, Maka. Why do you have a piano in your soul?" Maka mumbled something unintelligible, cheeks turning red, "Well?"

"You love the piano."

"I know that. But what does that have to do with-"

Maka leaned in and cut Soul off with a kiss. It was awkward and clumsy, yes, but Soul couldn't care less. He let go of her hand and brought his hands up to hold her face. Her skin was soft and warm. His eyes shut of their own accord and he pulled away for a short minute only to come back in for another kiss, this time more passionate. Maka's arms came up, wrapping themselves around Soul's neck, while his hands slid down her neck before settling on her waist.

It was only after a few moments that they parted, breathing heavily. Soul's heart was racing and he knew that Maka's was too. He'd never have expected to fall for such an unappealing girl (even if he didn't really believe that). "Well, that explains a lot," he said, smiling widely.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, breathlessly.

"Looks like we're ready to go, then." Maka nodded and took his hand again before opening the door that would lead them home.

:SOUL:EATER:

Maka was assaulted by hugs when she woke up. They were warm and welcoming and, when she reflected on it later, wet. She had started crying when Tsubaki had given her a tight hug, repeatedly saying how relieved she was that Maka had survived.

"What happened to you, Maka?" they said, after reassurances had been exchanged, "One minute you looked like you...you weren't going to make it, the next Soul is leaning over you, whispering words." Maka's green eyes flashed to Soul's face, which had just coloured. "We could hardly hear him, but it didn't even take 5 minutes. You were awake moments later."

"I..." Soul's eyes were averted but Maka got the message. He didn't really want to talk about their soul resonance. In all honesty, neither did she. It felt like a secret that they shared; a private moment that she didn't want public. "I'm not really sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't really remember. I remember that it hurt like crazy and I was worrying if the people would get out alright. I was looking for my dad..." she trailed off for a moment before continuing, "Black*Star insisted we leave but I refused and then I blacked out, I guess." She looked around the destruction, "How did this even happen?"

"Lord Death said he'd figure it out, but in the meantime, we need to get you to Professor Stein."

"What? Why?" she asked, alarmed at the idea of being treated.

"You're injured," said Tsubaki, "So is Black*Star and Kid and Kilik and Ox and Kim." She took a breath to calm herself before giving her another hug, "We're just so glad you survived."

"Me too," she said, hugging Tsubaki back tightly. Liz and Patti came to join them, while all the guys stood together, congratulating Soul on his efforts. Soul brushed them off but Maka could see that the possibility that she could die had scared him more than anything else. The group separated and stood in a closed circle, just thanking Shinigami-sama that they had all survived. "I'm really glad we're all-"

"MAKA!" Maka felt a pair of arms latch onto her waist and she sighed.

"Hi, Dad."

"My wonderful little girl, you're alive! And safe!" He hugged her close and Maka did something unexpected. She patted his head.

"It's okay, Dad, I'm alright." She looked down at him and found his dark eyes full of tears.

"MAKA!" Spirit clung to his daughter, desperate, it seemed, for more contact, "You finally excepted me! I'm so happy, Maka!"

"Who excepted you?" she said, "All I did was pet you on the head. You reminded me of a dog."

Spirit froze before continuing to hug her, chanting over and over how glad he was that she was alive and well. Maka was personally annoyed by her father's antics but she had to admit that the attention was nice. After all, he _was_ her father. She couldn't exactly push him away forever.

"Let her go, Death Scythe," said Soul, suddenly there trying to pry her father off her, "She's just been through a very traumatic experience and I really don't think she's well enough to deal with you right now."

Maka let out a laugh as the Death Scythe begged not to be separated but was hauled off by Soul and Black*Star. "Are you really alright, Maka?" asked Kid suddenly, "you gave us all quite a scare and when Soul went quiet we weren't sure what to think. I know you are physically injured but emotionally... will you be okay?"

"I don't really know, Kid, but I do know this," Maka looked over to where Soul was in a heated argument wit her father, about her of course, "I've got Soul with me. Together there is almost nothing we can't do."

Kid glanced over as well and smiled, "I suppose you're right." He returned his gaze to Maka, "but don't think this gets you out of seeing Professor Stein."

"Soul wouldn't hear the end of it if I tried to run. He's just that kind of guy."

"Today must feel like a total disaster though."

"Yes, and no. It was a disaster here but," Maka remembered her heated kiss with Soul during their resonance, "I'm really glad we're all together. That's what counts."

* * *

><p><strong>all done<strong>

**please R&R as you see fit [:**


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